Executive Property Management review: Timeshare Scam 43

The short version is that Executive Property Management was to sell my timeshare. After agreeing to sell and signing a contract I was then informed I needed to pay Mexican taxes for the sale and that I could either travel to Mexico for the settlement and pay then, hire an attorney to represent me at the closing or to pay the taxes to an escrow agent represented as an agent at Banorte. We've wired the funds, approximately $9k and Executive Property Management no longer answers the phone and when I attempt to call the escrow agent once I say my name or ask for the specific agent they hang up on me. The longer details and the various individuals I've dealt with are below:

On Aug. 24 I was contacted by Dale Cooper from Executive Property Management by phone asking if we (my wife and I) would be interested in selling our timeshare property in Puerto Vallarta Mexico at the Velas Vallarta resort. Dale sent over a purchase offer signed by Brian Goodwin, Purchase Director and Malcolm Lovig, Sales Manager. The offer was for $15, 840. We replied that we would be interested in selling and on Aug. 25 Dale Cooper sent us an Exclusive Sales Contract again signed by Brian Goodwin and Malcolm Lovig. We accepted the contract and filled out some paper-work and sent it back to Dale Cooper via e-mail.

On Aug. 30 we received additional information from Dale Cooper including a tax form where it was noted it had been received from the Mexican Tax office. Through a phone conversation with Malcolm Lovig we were advised that we could come to settlement and pay the taxes on settlement, hire a lawyer to represent us at settlement of to pay the taxes to an escrow agent who would pay to the Mexican Tax office and then be able to release our funds from the country. We wired $3, 009 to Mayra de los Angeles Gil Ocaranza, in c/o Servicios Profesionales De Impuestos, Paseo de la Reforma Num 390, piso 12 Mexico D.F 06600. The bank was Banorte at the location Francisco del Paso y Troncoso No. 291 Jardin Balbuena Delegacion Venustiano Carranza C.P. 15900 Mexico City. We sent the wire using the swift code MENOMXMT and account number [protected]. It was presented to us that this individual was an agent working for Banorte.

The transaction was to settle on Sep. 25 but this time came and went. We e-mailed and called Executive Property Management numerous times and were finally contacted via e-mail on Oct. 10 by Malcolm Lovig noting that they had received another tax form from the Mexican Tax Office and for me to call him. When I spoke to Malcolm Lovig he noted that the Mexican government instituted a new federal tax on the sale. We advised that we did not want to continue with the transaction as we had already borrowed the $3, 009 that we previously paid but were advised that Executive Property Management would maybe able to assist us in submitting the paperwork but that it would probably take a year our so to get through the red tape to get back our money. After not wanting to be tied up for the next year trying to get back our $3, 009 we instead borrowed and wired $3, 326 to Mayra de los Angeles Gil Ocaranza. We were advised that we would receive our money in 48 – 72 hours after we wired the funds. This time came and went but no money was received.

On Oct. 18 we received another e-mail from Malcolm Lovig noting that the Mexican Federal Government imposed an Escrow Tax of $1, 890. Again we did not want to continue with the transaction but after already borrowing and paying $6, 335 and not wanting to get stuck trying to collect the amount from a foreign governmental tax authority where we don’t read/speak the language for us to research on our own we borrowed and paid this amount again to Mayra de los Angeles Gil Ocaranza. We were again promised that we would receive our money within 72 hours. This time came and went but no money was received.

On Nov. 8 we were again contacted by e-mail by Malcolm Lovig noting that the government had imposed a state escrow fee of $949. We did not want to pay this amount but we were already into the transaction for $8, 225 and we received a phone call from Megan Ford at Executive Property Management noting that if we wired the $949 the next day it was guaranteed that we would receive our money by Nov. 11 and that if it got near the end of the day and we had not received our money to give her a call. In the afternoon of Nov. 11 we had still not received our money. I called Megan Ford and she noted that since the banks were closed due to Veteran’s day this probably was causing the delay in me being able to receive our money and to call her back on Monday the 14th if we still did not receive. In the afternoon on the 14th I called Megan Ford and she noted she needed to follow up with the sales team and would get back to me within the hour. This is the last communication I have had with Executive Property Management as all my e-mails and phone calls have gone unanswered.

I have also attempted to call Mayra de los Angeles Gil Ocaranza at [protected] to confirm whether or not the amount supposedly sitting in an escrow account to be released to me had been sent. I called twice on the 17th but after providing my name to the individual that answered the phone he hung up. I called again on the 21st with the same result. I called again on the 23rd and asked for Mayra and was hung up on before even giving my name.

This has been a nightmare that has ruined my life for the past few months. Even if we were to somehow get everything that was promised to us it would not be worth the frustration and time spent.